Clumsy
by Toivaska
Summary: /AU, but set after 3x04 'Silver War'/ What if Tali, Ziva's sister, wasn't dead after all? What if the clumsy girl falls in front of a specific green-eyed agent named Tim and hurts her ankle? 5 years later they're best friends, and they spend a lot of time together. /Tim&Tali (Timalia) fluffiness/I bet you like the story more than the summary. CHAPTER 1 (:


_**A/N; **_**Hello. Nice to see you found your way here.  
The idea for this fic just suddenly came in my mind. I was reading, as usual, and then I decided to search, if somebody had written a story with Tim/Tali (Timalia) pairing, but I didn't find any.  
So I wrote my own. And I have never written stuff this fluffy before.  
I linked lyrics with the story, 'cause the song fit in perfectly. The lyrics are from a Finnish artist Ronya's song '_Secret Sidekick_'. It's downloaded on YouTube, but I'm not sure if it's listenable outside Finland... **

**Thanks to my proof reader Jessica. You did well, forever grateful. xx**

**DISCLAIMER; I don't own anything. **

* * *

_**XOXO **__Eleven thirty-three, I see you baby but you can't see me._

_You're standing on your balcony with a cigarette beside your lip.  
__If you were here we'd laugh so much and I'd remember every touch  
__and you would say I don't look fat and we'd snuggle up to spinal tap  
__But I...  
__I watch you every day from my hiding place.  
__I wish you would see me like I do. __**XOXO**_

* * *

"Ziva!" a young woman with dark brown hair yelled while stepping out from the elevator.

Ziva turned over and saw her sister rushing towards her. "Talia?" Ziva gasped and Tali closed her big sister into a tight hug.

"I heard few days ago. Is he really dead?" Tali whispered into Ziva's ear and Ziva swallowed. Tali meant their half brother, Ari, who was killed almost a week ago. "Yes, he is", Ziva answered and Tali squeezed her eyes shut.

"We'll get through this, right? You'll come back to Israel with me and Abbah now, right?" Tali asked with a slightly desperate voice as Ziva separated from the hug.

Watching in Talia's deep, brown eyes Ziva opened her mouth a little, but closed it. She pressed her head down. Tali tilted her head towards her sister and glanced on the floor where Ziva was looking. "Ziva?" Tali asked in confusion.

"You are coming back to Israel, right?"

Ziva looked at a grey-haired man behind her, and he nodded. She turned her face towards Tali again. "No, Tali, I have to stay here. I... The director hired me, I work here now", Ziva told Tali and she blinked a few times.

_"What do you mean you work here now? You can't just leave Israel! It's your home, I need you back there!" _Tali snapped in Hebrew and glared at Ziva annoyed.

"_Look, Tali..."_ Ziva started, but Tali interrupted her by poking her on the chest.

"_No, didn't you hear me? You __**need **__to come back to Israel. I can't be there alone! I need you! Now! Ari's dead and Abbah still doesn't give a crap about us! You're the only one I have", _Tali spoke, and softened her earlier angry tone a little towards the end.

The conversation of the David siblings had caused the entire office area of the NCIS headquarters to fall silent. The agents watched Ziva and Tali patiently, needing to know how the conversation, from which they hadn't actually understood a bit, would have a good ending. After a while of the silence Ziva said something to her sister. "You could move here with me?"

Tali raised her gaze off from the floor to see Ziva's half-hearted smile. "What?" she asked.

"I said..." Ziva started, but got interrupted by Tali, again. "I heard what you said. Are you serious?" Tali asked, her eyes sparkling as she did.

"If you can't go back to Israel without me, I guess you have to move here with me", Ziva spoke and Tali got a grin on her lips. "You're kidding?! Oh my god, Ziva! I would love to!" Tali gasped and let out an excited laugh.

The grey-haired man glanced around him to see everyone just standing and looking at the now hugging siblings. "Alright, movie's over. Back to work people!" he ordered, and the regular voice's of chatting and keyboard-tapping echoed through the offices while everyone got back to their work as if nothing had never happened.

Ziva tapped her sister's shoulder and smiled at her. The grey-haired man cleared his throat behind Ziva and she turned over.

"Oh right..." Ziva muttered. "Gibbs, this is my sister, Talia", she introduced and Tali sticked her hand towards Gibbs. "Call me Tali", Tali spoke, but Gibbs didn't shake her hand. Tali wiped off her earlier grin that was still on.

"Hi, I'm Tony", one of the men in the bullpen greeted and grabbed Tali's hand. Tony almost made to peck a kiss on Tali's back of hand, but Ziva slapped Tony's hand away giving him a warning finger. "My sister", Ziva whispered and Tony backed off.

Tali snorted and then turned towards the other man across the bullpen.

"Name's Timothy McGee. But you can call me Tim", the man introduced and Tali took few steps towards Tim to shake his hand before stepping over her ankle and with a very girly, quick yelp fell on her stomach to the floor.

"Ow", she moaned and Ziva kneeled beside her whining sister. "You okay, Clumsy?" Ziva joked and Tali rolled on her back.

"It's not funny", she said while sitting up and tried to stand up. "Ow!" Tali moaned again and now Tim stood up behind his desk.

"Should I call Ducky?" Tim asked and Ziva nodded. "Yeah, that would be good", Ziva sighed with a slight of laughter.

Before Tim could even pick up his phone they all heard when Gibbs spoke on his own phone. "Hey Duck. We need you upstairs. A girl hurt her ankle. Yeah okay, in a minute, sure. Thanks, Duck", he said and hang up. "He's coming", Gibbs stated and sipped his coffee.

Ziva and Tim exchanged smirks.

"A girl in pain here", Tali reminded silently. Tim rushed from behind his desk to help Tali up. Ziva and Tim helped her stand up and guided her to sit on Tim's chair.

"Here", Tim said and kneeled in front of Tali. He took her sneaker and sock off and took a look at Tali's ankle. "A little swollen", he muttered and massaged her foot a little. Tali winced at Tim's touch and let out a small squeak causing him to look up.

"Sorry, didn't mean to hurt you", Tim apologised and Tali caught his eyes with her own.

They stared into each other's eyes for a moment, and Tali seemed to forget the pounding pain in her ankle. Tim's eyes were beautifully green and his features were soft and round. Tali started to grin. Tim grinned back at her and stood up.

"So, I was needed?" Ducky asked and Tim's grin broke. "Uh, yes. Um..." Tim stammered and Ziva stepped in front of him.

"Yes, this is Talia, my clumsy sister", Ziva told, cocked her head towards Tali and crossed her arms over her chest. "Hi", Tali smiled awkwardly at the doctor giving him a little wave of hand and Ducky squatted on the floor in front of Tali's foot to examine it. "Let's see..." Ducky muttered while he twisted and pressed on Tali's ankle.

Tali looked over the doctor to see Tim, whose eyes were focused on her foot as well. Apparently, he felt that someone was staring at him and raised his eyes on Tali's.

Tali gently nipped her lower lip while giving a small smile at Tim, and he looked little panicked, but made to return the smile.

Tali laughed and returned her gaze on her ankle again. This wasn't going to end here.

* * *

_**XOXO **__Secret sidekick,  
__could you love me?  
__It'll never be like I want it to,  
__I am watching over you.  
__Secret sidekick,  
__play with me please.  
__Eyes fixed, turn around, turn around, turn around, I... __**XOXO**_

* * *

**5 years later**

Timothy was standing in his apartment in front of his mirror. He petted his jacket on place and smiled.

He was going to watch a movie with his best friend, Tali, Ziva's little sister. Tim enjoyed the time he spent with Tali, because she had a good sense of humour, she was temperamental, it was never boring with her, and to Tim's luck Tali was a beauty. Although they were just friends, Tim had a huge crush on Tali, but Tali probably thought him as a just a friend.

Tim grabbed his wallet from his kitchen table and headed out to his Porsche.

Meanwhile, Tali was putting on her favourite jeans when she heard a knock from the door of her room.

"What do you want?" she sang and Ziva opened the door.

"I thought you said Tim's coming to pick you up at... 7:30PM, is that right?" Ziva asked and glanced at her watch. "Yeah. Is he late?" Tali asked with a grin.

"No, he still has five minutes", Ziva spoke and Tali zipped up her jeans.

"Well, I'm done", she stated, but then snapped her fingers. "No, I'm not. Earrings and perfume", Tali said and rushed past Ziva to their bathroom. "Of course", Ziva muttered under her breath and heard their doorbell go off.

Tali looked her reflection. Her curls were more wilder that Ziva's, and she brushed few stubborn curls behind her ear. Then Tali sprayed some perfume on the air. She walked around the bathroom trying to catch as much of the sweet, flowery scent on her as she could. Tim had actually bought that perfume for her on her birthday.

Tali liked Tim, because he was smart, generous and he was understanding and extremely cute. Tali was also glad that Tim was trustworthy, she could tell him everything.

Ziva opened the door and saw Tim. She smiled.

"Please tell me I'm not late", Tim pleaded and Ziva let out a laugh. "You're early. Come in", she answered and closed the door behind Tim. Tali walked out from the bathroom at the same moment and started grinning when she saw her friend.

"Tim!" Tali greeted and embraced Tim in a warm hug. Ziva leaned against the doorframe of their kitchen and looked at her coworker and little sister. She snorted slightly.

"I see you're wearing your favourite jeans", Tim spotted with a silent laugh.

"Yeah, I am", Tali said and slapped her hands on top of her butt. "They make my ass look good", she continued slyly with a smirk getting a roll of an eye from Ziva and an amused grin from Tim.

"Alright. I brought you something", Tim said and pulled a small bag of chocolate out from his pocket. Tali took it on her hands and gasped. She leaned closer to Tim and rested her head on his shoulder.

"You know me so well, Ti-MIT", Tali said and Tim snorted at his rarely used nickname.

"Are we ready to go?", Tim asked and backed up to the front door. "Okay", Tali stated and was about to leave, but Ziva pulled her sister in the kitchen.

"_I want you to come home before two, okay?" _Ziva asked in Hebrew.

"_Sure thing, sister"_, Tali answered and laughed. "_But you're not my mother and you don't have any kind of legally owed responsibility of me, so stop worrying. But I promise"_, she continued, winked at Ziva and headed back to the hall. Ziva just snorted at Tali's attitude and followed Tim and Tali to the door.

"Let's go then", Tali smirked and went out from the door Tim right behind her heels.

"Bye Ziva", Tim called. "Have fun", Ziva wished behind them. She watched when Tim's hand brushed over Tali's lower back when he motioned her to go before him. Ziva smiled and closed the door. Now she had time of her own.

* * *

_**XOXO **__Twelve thirty, you go to bed  
__why can't you come to mine instead?  
__We could fool around but don't be scared of the pictures of you everywhere.  
__1AM I'm turning in, 'cause without you there's no meaning.  
__Another sleepless night in sight, I need to have you in my life  
__'cause I...  
__I watch you every day from my hiding place.  
__I wish you would see me like I do. __**XOXO**_

* * *

Tim loped on the passenger's side of his car and opened the door for Tali letting her out.

"Why thank you", Tali laughed. One of the traits in Tim was, that he had old-fashioned manners. Tali was little amused from it, but she respected it and it was charming.

Tim closed the car door. "So... Are you good with the chocolates or do you want popcorn?" Tim asked and Tali pouted her lips.

"Hmm..." she thought. "If you get popcorn I will eat some of yours", Tali said with a grin and Tim laughed.

"So I'm going to get popcorn then", he spoke and Tali smiled at him, proud of her achievement.

They stood in a line for a while, then Tim bought them tickets to a fantasy movie, which was Tali's choice. Then he bought himself popcorn to share with Tali. Tali, on the other hand, bought them two bottles of water. She did buy them, because she didn't want Tim to buy everything. Soon, they were sitting in the dark theatre and the first scene of the movie started to roll on the screen.

Half way through the movie Tali had eaten all of Tim's popcorn and almost all of her chocolates. Tali, fully concentrating to the movie and not thinking what she was doing, rested her hand on top of Tim's upper thigh.

Tim shuddered from Tali's touch and turned his head towards her. Even though Tali wasn't looking at him, it was good that there was dark in the theatre, because Tim was bright red from blushing.

It was probably clear to almost everyone with eyesight that Tim had a crush on Tali, although he had never told anyone about his feelings for her. Tim was afraid that if Tali found out it was going to ruin their friendship, and Tim didn't want that.

Tali's hand laid on Tim's thigh for a big while and then, as rudely as she placed it there, Tali wrenched her hand away to open her bottle of water. It made Tim shudder again, and he glanced at her, again.

Tali drank, closed her bottle and rested it on her lap. One big, stubborn curl of Tali's was wandering in front of her face and Tali tried to fight it back behind her ear. Tim noticed Tali's waving hand and turned once again towards her. Tim raised his hand towards Tali, took the stray curl with his finger and slowly guided it behind Tali's ear, this time finally getting the curl away from Tali's face. "Thank you", Tali mouthed and gave Tim a delicate smile. Tim patted her knee and said "you're welcome".

* * *

_**XOXO **__Secret sidekick,  
__you should love me.  
__But it'll never be like I want it to,  
__I am watching over you.  
__Secret sidekick,  
__play with me please.  
__Eyes fixed, turn around, turn around, turn around, I disappear. __**XOXO**_

* * *

Tali took a loud slurp from her soda. The movie had ended a half an hour ago and Tim and Tali had gone to McDonald's to get something to eat. They both had ended up taking fries.

Tim waited for Tali to finish her soda so they could continue their aimless journey. "It doesn't take that long to drink, you know", Tim laughed and Tali hit her cup on the table.

"Done!" she stated and gave Tim a victorious smile.

They dumped their trash and walked out. Tim was heading to his car, but after taking few deep breaths Tali stopped.

"The weather's nice. We should go for a walk", Tali suggested and Tim offered his arm at her. "It's okay with me", he said with a brief smile and Tali rolled her arm around Tim's returning the smile.

Without hurry Timothy and Talia walked arm in arm around the streets of Washington D.C. talking about whatever came in their minds. Mostly it was Tali who spoke, and mostly about the movie they had just seen, but there were some other subjects too, like what had happened to Tim today in the field and how Tony had tried to strain a rubber band around Tim's head. Now Tim watched Tali, who told laughing about her lunch at one local café. Tim couldn't stop staring at her. She looked beautiful when she was laughing and happy. When Tali ended the story, she freed her arm from Tim's and curled it around herself.

It was starting to get late, and it was little windy. The cooling night mixed up with the cold wind made a shiver go down Tali's spine. "It's getting little cold in here", she informed.

"You want me to take you home?" Tim asked, but Tali shook her head.

"I was thinking more about your place", Tali answered. "We could take a cab so we don't have to walk to your car", she continued. Tim slightly tilted his head. "You sure? I mean what can we do at mine?" he asked and Tali gave him a sharp nod. "Yeah, I'm sure. And what have we been doing this far; talk", she said and grinned.

* * *

_**XOXO **__Living half a life through a camera lens,  
__a noble sacrifice to see your lovely face.  
__But I keep my distance,  
__don't want to end this game.  
__I know you'll never love me, yet I start another day._

_Secret sidekick,  
__could you love me?  
__It'll never be like I want it to,  
__I am watching over you  
__Secret sidekick,  
__play with me please.  
__Eyes fixed, turn around, turn around, I disappear. __**XOXO**_

* * *

Tim opened his front door for Tali and, polite as always, let her go in first. Tim helped Tali to take her jacket off, and she thanked him. While Tim was taking his own jacket off and hanging it to the coat rack, Tali walked around Tim's apartment looking for any changes since the last time she had been there. She walked in the kitchen and the only change so far was that he had finally taken out his trash.

"You want something to drink?" Tim asked from the doorway of the kitchen and Tali turned over. "I'm good", she refused and made her way to the living room sitting down on Tim's couch. Soon, Tim sat next to her.

"What do you want to do?" Tim asked and Tali shrugged her shoulders. "Lay down?" she said with an asking tone and Tim nodded. Tali laid herself on the couch using Tim's lap as a pillow.

"Ziva wanted me to come home before two. What is it now?" she asked. Tim glanced at his watch, "Half past twelve." Tali nodded, "So there is time", she muttered.

"Since I know I can talk to you about everything, and I've been honestly trying to avoid this subject for a while, but now I want to clear my head from it", Tali started after a moment and Tim changed his position to a better one. "Shoot", he said and Tali closed her eyes.

"I have a crush on someone. Or not a crush... I have feelings for him. But I don't know if I he feels the same way", Tali told and Tim felt his heart twitch a little, as his interest started to wake up.

"Have I met him?" he asked and Tali flew her eyes open. She had to lie.

"I think you have met him, yes", she lied and nodded gently. Before Tim could say anything Tali frowned. "You have feelings for someone, don't you, Timothy?" she asked.

Full first name. Uh oh. "I think so", he answered simply. Tali glanced at him quickly, but then focused to stare at a one point on Tim's wall where she had stared for a while now. "Same situation? You don't know how she feels about you?" Tali asked and Tim nodded. "Yup."

That caused Tali to smile. "We are losers", she laughed.

It was more like a statement than question, but Tim needed to answer it somehow. He looked down at Tali. "No, we are not. We're completely normal", he said and Tali snorted.

"Define 'normal'", she said and gave and sarcastic glare towards Tim.

Tim snorted as well. "It a wide concept", he said with a laugh. "I know that", Tali snapped friendly and caught Tim's eyes. Tim watched Tali smiling.

Nobody knew how much he wanted to kiss her. But Tim held his want and awkwardly raised his gaze up sighing.

Tali sighed, too.

What Tim didn't know was, that Tali wanted to kiss him as bad as he wanted to her.

The signs of Tim's crush towards her were maybe clear to others, but not Tali. She kept pouting her lips when she was in her thoughts. Tim seemed to notice it and carefully glanced down at her again. "Penny for your thoughts?"

Tali placed her hands on top of her stomach to calm the butterflies flying around in her stomach. "I have never actually felt like this before", she thought out loud with wandering eyes.

"Like what?" Tim asked and Tali shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know. I feel sick in my stomach, but it's not a bad thing, it feels... good and exciting", she answered.

"Has it got something to do with the guy?" Tim asked and Tali frowned.

"Probably", she stated quickly. "Are you trying to say it's love that I'm feeling?" Tali asked.

"Isn't it obvious?" Tim asked back and Tali smiled to herself looking in Tim's eyes. "I guess", she finished.

* * *

_**XOXO **__I'm a shadow behind you,  
__a silhouette just passing through,  
__a familiar face, but you can't say who.  
__Secret sidekick,  
__you should love me!  
__Eyes fixed, turn around, turn around, turn around,  
__I am watching over you. __**XOXO**_

* * *

Little later Tali and Tim had taken a cab to drop Tali home. Tim was going to continue his journey to pick up his car from the McDonald's.

Ziva was sitting in the kitchen and she was watching out from the window. She watched, as Tim helped Tali out from the backseat of the cab.

"Thanks for paying for my ride home", Tali thanked with a laugh as they walked towards the front door of her home. Tim smiled about to speak, but Tali tripped and nearly fell on the ground.

"No problem, Clumsy", Tim laughed and helped Tali properly stand up. Usually Tali started to defend herself, but now she just ended up smiling awkwardly. Outside Tali and Ziva's front door they stopped and Tali turned to face Tim.

"I see you later, Tim", she said hugging her friend goodbye. "I see you later, Tali. Bye", Tim said and turned on his heals to leave. Tali bit her lip.

"Hey, Tim!"

He hadn't taken a step and he spun back towards Tali. "Forgot something?" Tim asked confused and Tali came close to him.

Tali cupped Tim's cheeks in her palms and pressed her lips against his.

The butterflies in Tali's stomach flew away the second when their lips met for the first time, at the same time Tim's mind was filled with questions. Was he dreaming? Why would Tali kiss him? Unless... Was she teasing him on purpose? Did she know he loved her?

Tali separated from him and grinned.

"You j... I-I..." Tim stammered and Tali let out a laugh. "Wow", she whispered and laughed again.

Tim, still shocked, leaned towards Tali and sealed her lips with a deep kiss. Tali curled her arms around Tim's neck and smiled between their kisses.

They both had wanted to do it for a long now.

Meanwhile Ziva was wondering where Tali had disappeared? She had seen when her sister had stepped out from the cab, it couldn't take that long to walk journey that short. Ziva headed her way to the door and peeked out through the peephole, but she didn't see nothing, so she decided to open the door to check.

When Tali heard the door open she pushed Tim away. Ziva hid her shock, and Tim fell red. He cleared his throat. "Bye", Tim muttered quickly and left.

Tali looked on the floor and smirked as she passed Ziva who held the door open. Ziva closed the door and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Talia David..." she said, now revealing her excited, but surprised look.

"Ziva David", Tali answered raising her head up and grinned.

"Did I just see what I think I did?" Ziva asked poking her tongue out between her sly smile.

"I think you did", Tali answered, now biting her cheeks to hide her excitement. All she could think about was that she had just kissed Tim, suddenly decided she'd do it, and she did.

"'Tim's my best friend.' You should have told me!" Ziva teased parroting Tali. "I know", Tali muttered. "'It's just spending time together, it's not a date'", Ziva continued teasing.

"_I _know", Tali said. "Should I now apologise or what?" she asked.

Ziva laid her hands on top of her sister's shoulders. "No, I'm happy for you. Took you long enough. Now, we should really be sleeping. Good night", Ziva said, smiled and disappeared inside her bedroom.

"Night", Tali hummed back and closed herself inside her room.

* * *

_**A/N; **_**Ending's little clumsy. Like the story, hehe...  
Sure hope you liked (:**

**Reviews would make my day and give me inspiration to continue, and give me some ideas for the next chapters, please (:**

**With love; Manna~**


End file.
